Descendants of William Fletcher
Last Updated
11/5/08

History of this document.  Given to me (Mathew Mark Fletcher) in May of 2008 by Linda Fry "Linda Fry" <lindafry5@hotmail.com> 
All notes in RED were added by Matt Fletcher..  I am a natural born skeptic.  I try to verify what other genealogists tell me.  I was given this document and then set out to verify what I could.  Everything is documented with primary sources where possible.  Primary sources are things like:  census and marriage documents, tax records, wills.  After working on this for 4 years I believe that our ancestor(s) came here as indentured servants from Scotland.  There may have been more than one.  They came here in the late 1600s and or the early 1700s.  

Some of the information in this document is almost certainly incorrect but I left it in, and noted the mistakes as they may hold clues for someone else. 
  
This line of Fletchers has been genetically connected to the Moses Fletcher line of Fauquier County VA through Richard Fletcher" <FletcherRJ@aol.com> Richard Fletcher and I match 67 of 67 DNA markers.  This means there is a 100% chance we are related within the past 1-7 generations.   –Matt Fletcher  DetroitHomeInspector@yahoo.com 

Generation No. 1  (probably not our kin)

1.  WILLIAM1 FLETCHER1 was born 01 Jan 1670/71 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts2, and died 21 Mar 1774 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts2.  He married MARY2.  She was born 01 Feb 1685/86 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts2, and died 25 Feb 1768 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts2.
	
Child of WILLIAM FLETCHER and MARY is:
2.	i.	CAPT. THOMAS2 FLETCHER, b. 15 Jan 1710/11, Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts; d. 1771, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.

Generation No. 2   (probably not our kin)

2.  CAPT. THOMAS2 FLETCHER (WILLIAM1)3 was born 15 Jan 1710/11 in Chelmsford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts4, and died 1771 in Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee.  He married MARGARET KEY5, daughter of JAMES KEY and JUDITH KEITH.  She was born 1705 in Montgomery County, Kentucky6, and died 17756.  (Many of us researchers doubt that Margaret Key was born in KY in 1705.  I don’t think there were very many white people in KY in 1705.  Probably just male explorers at best. Kentucky was the western frontier at this point.   Montgomery county was not formed until 1796….well after the birth and death of  of Margaret Key.)  Captain Thomas Fletcher probably is NOT the father of Thomas A. Fletcher

Children of THOMAS FLETCHER and MARGARET KEY are:
	i.	ROBERT3 FLETCHER, b. 1731, Currituck, Virginia6; d. 17926.
3.	ii.	THOMAS A. FLETCHER, b. 01 Dec 1760, Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.  (  According to the war pension letter, Thomas A. Was 84 years old in February 1833, which means he was born about 1849.  1760 is way off.   The  Thomas Fletcher born 1760 and Thomas A. Fletcher born 1749 are OFTEN confused.  I have been in contact with a descendant of Thomas Fletcher of 1760 and we have compared notes.  Thomas A. born abt 1749 and Thomas born abt 1760  are NOT the same person. 

		 Not many northern Fletchers migrated to the south from the north.  This seems unlikely but not impossible.  
		Everything from here up has not been checked and is doubtful.  To my knowledge, NO northern Fletchers match the DNA of the southern Fletcher unless they have the 1700s  connection back to VA.  

Everything from here down has been checked and I am 95% sure it is accurate. –Matt Fletcher   

Generation No. 3

3.  THOMAS A.3 FLETCHER (THOMAS2, WILLIAM1)7 was born 01 Dec 1760 in Concord, Middlesex County, Massachusetts7.  He married UNKNOWN7.  Thomas A. Fletcher was a well documented Revolutionary War Veteran.  His birth in Concord Middlesex Co. is doubtful.  He was  probably born in Fauquier Co. Virginia.  He enlisted in the VA miltila from Pittsylvania Co. VA.  He was probably born about 1749 according to his war pension letter, not 1760.      
	
Children of THOMAS FLETCHER and UNKNOWN are:
	i.	WILLIAM4 FLETCHER, b. 17777.
4.	ii.	JANE FLETCHER, b. 1780.
	iii.	THOMAS B. FLETCHER, b. 17867.
5.	iv.	JOHN P. FLETCHER, b. 1795; d. 1840  	
	v.	ELIZABETH FLETCHER7, m. ANTHONY SMITH7.
	vi.	FRANCES FLETCHER7.
	vii.	JAMES FLETCHER7.
	viii.	MARGARET FLETCHER7.
	ix.	MARY FLETCHER7.

More about John P. Fletcher
		(John Fletcher, Ph.D, not related to me, our DNA does not match)  <romejohn@verizon.net>  Has been a Fletcher researcher for 40 years.   John has advised me that he found a link between John P. and Henry in the Scott Co.VA census. John P. was the only Fletcher in the area that had a son the right age to be Henry.   

Also,  I received the following email from another Fletcher researcher, Nadine “bobby” Chistall  <bob736@msn.com  

“Here I have another note..."Willis of Hawkins Co.,TN :    JOHN FLETCHER Oct 3rd 1844  Proven Mar 3, 1845  mentions wife,Christine  and mentions Pleasan Begley.  It is signed by Robert Frost,  Russel F. BELCHER, JOHN FLETCHER, HENRY FLETCHER and William A. Hix and POLLY SMITH (who was Mary Fletcher Smith).”    

Elizabeth Fletcher married Anthony Smith as mentioned in the will of Thomas A. above.  I believe Mary Fletcher also married into the same Smith family.  The email mentions Christine as the wife of John.  Most Fletcher researchers agree that Catherine Curry is the wife of John P.  I think this is a transcription error.   

		Therefore, from here down seems correct as it leads to me).  This contradicts the “Descendents of Thomas Fletcher” document which Anne Fialcowitz  (akittymom@aol.com) gave me.  Anne lists Thomas as the father of Henry). Update:  6/13/08.  Marilyn Brown, a Fletcher researcher and administrator of   http://www.genealogy.fletcher.net/ advised me that a last will and testament of Thomas A. Fletcher exists.  In that will he Mentions John P. and Thomas Fletcher as sons. I have only gotten the transcript of the will but have not seen the original document yet.  The Hawkins County Clerk has the original wills.  I called them and verified.    
Generation No. 4

4.  JANE4 FLETCHER (THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1) was born 17807.  She married DELANY ARMISTED HERRON7 11 Feb 1799 in Surry County, North Carolina7.  He was born Abt. 17817, and died Aft. 1860 in Claiborne County, Tennessee7.
	
Children of JANE FLETCHER and DELANY HERRON are:
	i.	JAMES5 HERRON, b. 18267.
	ii.	JANE HERRON, b. 18287; m. HARRISON WALLCE7; b. 18097.
	iii.	LEVI HERRON, b. 18307.

5.  JOHN P.4 FLETCHER (THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1)7 was born 17957, and died 18407.  He married CATHERINE CURRY7 Abt. 18157.  She was born 17987.  John Fletcher, Ph.D<romejohn@verizon.net>  . Has advised me that he found a link between John and Henry in the Scott Co.VA census. According to census documents,  John P is the only Fletcher in the area with a son the correct age to be Henry.  John Fletcher, Ph.D. was certain of this after checking the census data.  A week later we discovered that Thomas A. names John P. as a son is his will.   When Henry Fletcher was a boy, census documents did not name each member of the household.  It only listed the name of the heads of the household:  children were listed as “tic marks”.  For example, “males in household between 5 and 10” and there would be an “x” (or not) in that column.   That is why I cannot be 100 percent sure Henry is the son of John P..  Uunless I find other documents to verify such as  Tax, marriage or will documents may show this.  A will of a John Fletcher of Hawkins co. TN reportedly  mentions a Henry Fletcher.  Presently, I am only about 95% sure that Henry is the son of John P.. .  
	
Children of JOHN P. FLETCHER and CATHERINE CURRY are:
6.	i.	HENRY5 FLETCHER, b. 1812.  ( KNOWN GR GR GRANDFATHR TO MATHEW M. FLETCHER)  Census records show Henry in Hawkins Co. TN with a son named Wilson and Wilson has a Son named W.M. AKA William.   
7.	ii.	MARY FLETCHER, b. 1814.
8.	iii.	MAHALA FLETCHER, b. 1833, Hancock County, Tennessee; d. 10 Mar 1906, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee.

Hancock county census 1860 Shows Henry Fletcher with males in household: WM, Wilson, Benjamin, John.  Females, Ceily Lambert (wife), Manda, Pollyan.   Henry had great uncles named William (WM) and Benjamin.   Benjamin and William were the brothers of Thomas A. and are mentioned in his war pension letter.  I believe this lends more credibility that we go back to Thomas A..     

Note:
Researcher John E. Fletcher PhD wrote an article for the FFRB (Fletcher Family Research Bulletin)  Showing that his kin James Fletcher Sr. Esquire had three sons.  They are listed in the article as William, Thomas, and Ben.  Thomas being born 1748 (just one year different than my Thomas A. Fletcher).  Thomas also had brothers named William and Ben.  I contacted John E. Fletcher and he assured me that this is a different line of Fletcher and is simply a coincidence.  He said MANY families had males named Thomas, William and Ben after former kings of England.     
Generation No. 5

6.  HENRY5 FLETCHER (JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1) was born 18127.  He married CELIA7.  She was born 18127.
	
Children of HENRY FLETCHER and CELIA are:
	i.	CATHERINE6 FLETCHER, b. 18387.
	ii.	WM WILLIAM FLETCHER, b. 18397.
iii.	  WILSON FLETCHER, b. 18417. 
	iv.	MARY ANN (Polly Ann) FLETCHER, b. 184e47.
	v.	BENJAMIN FLETCHER, b. 18477.   Note that Thomas A. Fletcher had two brothers; one named Ben and one named William.  Henry named one of his sons William and one Ben.  
		vi.  JOHN FLETCHER, b. 18507.  
		vii.  AMANDA FLETCHER, b. 18547. 

FROM HERE DOWN THE FAMILY LINE FOLLOWS THE SMITH AND CODY FAMILY LINES BECAUSE THAT IS PROBABLY WHO DID THE RESEARCH.   Catherine Fletcher married a Smith.   My Fletcher line goes, Wilson, WM (William), Matt, Mathew (me).  

 iv  MARY5 FLETCHER (JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1) was born 18147.  She married JAMES DAVID SMITH7.  He was born 18117.
	
Children of MARY FLETCHER and JAMES SMITH are:
	i.	JAMES B.6 SMITH, b. 1837.
	ii.	LUVINA SMITH, b. 18377.
10.	iii.	CATHERINE SMITH, b. 1839.

8.  MAHALA5 FLETCHER (JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1)7 was born 1833 in Hancock County, Tennessee7, and died 10 Mar 1906 in Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee7.  She married WILLIAM FREDERICK CODY7 20 Dec 1850 in Hancock County, Tennessee7, son of JAMES CODY and EVE SAUNDERS.  He was born 1831 in Hancock County, Tennessee7, and died 30 Jul 1864 in General Hospital, Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee7.

More About WILLIAM FREDERICK CODY:
Cause of Death: fever
Military service: Civil War Veteran--Union
	
Children of MAHALA FLETCHER and WILLIAM CODY are:
10.	i.	JAMES RICHARD6 CODY, b. 15 Aug 1853, Hancock County, Tennessee; d. 25 Feb 1937, Hancock County, Tennessee.
11.	ii.	CATHERINE CODY, b. 24 Mar 1855, Hancock County, Tennessee; d. 08 Jun 1940, Hawkins County, Tennessee.

Some of the “children of Henry and Celia” above are a little messed up.  I will have to fix this after I look at the census docs.  The above in BLUE, shows how the Fletchers link to the Cody and Smith Families.   

 More about Wilson Fletcher.  The 1900 Clay County Kentucky census shows Wilson with a son named William, age 19. This links them.

A man named John P. Fletcher married Irena Haynes on August 19 1874 according to the Hawkins Co. TN marriages book 1866 to 1890 Page 70.  Is this the a son of John P. senior (son of Thomas A. )

Generation No. 6

9.  CATHERINE6 SMITH (MARY5 FLETCHER, JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1) was born 18397.  She married ISHAM EDENS7.  He was born 18337.
	
Child of CATHERINE SMITH and ISHAM EDENS is:
	i.	NANCY CORDELIA7 EDENS7, m. THURMAN HERRON7; b. 18687.

10.  JAMES RICHARD6 CODY (MAHALA5 FLETCHER, JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1)8 was born 15 Aug 1853 in Hancock County, Tennessee8, and died 25 Feb 1937 in Hancock County, Tennessee8.  He married NANCY E. ANDERSON8 11 Nov 1875 in Hancock County, Tennessee8.  She was born 25 Dec 1856 in Hancock County, Tennessee8, and died 05 Jul 19398.
	
Children of JAMES CODY and NANCY ANDERSON are:
	i.	WILLIAM L.7 CODY, b. Abt. 1876, Hancock County, Tennessee8.
	ii.	GEORGE WASHINGTON CODY, b. 02 Aug 1878, Hancock County, Tennessee8; d. Dec 1972, Sneedville, Hancock County, Tennessee8.
	iii.	MOLLIE CODY, b. 1880, Hancock County, Tennessee8.
	iv.	ZEDEKIAH CODY, b. Jan 1883, Hancock County, Tennessee8; d. May 1960, Sneedville, Hancock County, Tennessee8.
	v.	LAURA CODY, b. Nov 1885, Hancock County, Tennessee8.

11.  CATHERINE6 CODY (MAHALA5 FLETCHER, JOHN P.4, THOMAS A.3, THOMAS2, WILLIAM1)9 was born 24 Mar 1855 in Hancock County, Tennessee9, and died 08 Jun 1940 in Hawkins County, Tennessee9.  She married JOHN ELI ANDERSON9.  He was born 22 Jan 1855 in Hancock County, Tennessee9, and died 06 Mar 1876 in Lee Valley, Tennessee9.
	
Child of CATHERINE CODY and JOHN ANDERSON is:
	i.	MARY ANN7 ANDERSON9, b. 18 Mar 1875, Hancock County, Tennessee9; d. 1900, Hancock County, Tennessee9; m. WHEELER H. LAWSON9; b. 06 Mar 1878, Hawkins County, Tennessee9; d. 1941, Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Virginia9.

More About WHEELER H. LAWSON:
Burial: Lawson Cemetery, Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Virginia9

Endnotes

1.  Ancestry.com--Massachusetts Town Records.
2.  Ancestry.com--Millenium File.
3.  Ancestry.com--Massachusetts Town Records.
4.  Ancestry.com--Millenium File.
5.  Ancestry.com--Massachusetts Town Records.
6.  Ancestry.com--Millenium File.
7.  Lawson Family File, vljones7@msn.com.
8.  FamilySearch.com.
9.  Lawson Family File, vljones7@msn.com.

Updates added by Matt Fletcher

Transcript of the last will and testament of Thomas A. Fletcher

I called the clerks office in Hancock co.
http://www.hawkinscountytn.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8&Itemid=10
 and they advised me that they have the original wills on file.  –Matt Fletcher

email   
Marilyn Brown <bridgie@arkansas.net> wrote: 
[Matt -- Here is the transcript of Thomas A. Fletcher's will as found on the Hawkins County GenWeb site at http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tnhawkin/will17.htm. Hope this helps.....Marilyn]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WILL OF THOMAS A. FLETCHER
Page 189 Dated: November 30, 1841
In the Name of God, Amen.
I, Thomas A. Fletcher of the Count of Hawkins in the State of Tenn., being of perfect sound mind & memory, but at the same time knowing the certainty of death and the uncertainty of life and being far advanced in years, do make, ordain and publish this as my last Will and Testament.
First. To my son John P. Fletcher I give and bequeath one lindsey suit of clothes now wore by me, consisting of coat, jacket & pantaloons.
2nd. To my son William I give a receipt in full for all he owed me.
3rd. To my son Thomas a clean discharge of all debts due me and the same to my son James.
4th. To my daughters Janey Herrin, Polly O Daniel, Peggy Fletcher & Frankey Etter I also give receipts in full for all claims I hold on them and their husbands.
5th. And in consideration of the kind treatment and attention I have & am now receiving from my son-in-law Anthony Smith & his wife Elizabeth, my daughter, at whose house I am now living under their care and attention, I give and bequeath all the remainder of my Estate both real and personal for the reason that I have given my other children their full share of my Estate, and they have no cause to complain. Inasmuch as my dearly beloved daughter Elizabeth and her husband Anthony Smith have been supporting and taking care of me, and still intend to do so therefore, I more cheerfully make them my my sole heirs and devisees of what ever estate I may possess at my death.
6th. I desire that I may be decently intered at the place where I am now living, at Anthony Smith’s in Hawkins County.
7th. I hereby nominate and ordain said Anthony Smith to be my sole Executor and request that the Court shall not require any bond and security of him as Executor of my Estate.
In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand & seal This thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord, 1841.
Test. T. A. Fletcher (seal)
Stephen Johnson Decease, Matilda Johnson, Beverly O. Ford, William D. x Johnson
(his mark)
"Sole heirs an devisees of whatever Estate I may leave at my death"    End of will 
------------------------------------------------------

Our line of Fletchers first appeared in the US in Fauquier Co. VA and is genetically connected to the Moses Fletcher line of Fauquier Co. VA .  

We visited the Kyles Ford TN area in the winter of 2007 and found a Fletcher graveyard on Fox Branch Road behind the home of a man named Dayton Moles.  The graveyard is overgrown and there is no path to it.  I found the graveyard on the web.  It gave the longitude and latitude and we punched that data into our GPS and it took us right to the graveyard.   I wonder if this graveyard is on the former land of Anthony Smith as previously mentioned in the will of Thomas A.   Old tax records may tell if this was the land of Anthony Smith (son-in-law to Thomas A).

+36degrees34’ 29.28”, -83 degrees5’

There were about ten headstones in the graveyard in Kyles Ford TN.  Two headstones had the names Harriet Fletcher and John Jesse Fletcher.  All the rest were just rocks with no markings.  This graveyard is right on the TN VA boarder.  This MAY BE where Thomas A. Fletcher is buried.  –Matt Fletcher

John J. Fletcher.  There was no war going on in 1909.  Military headstone?  Could have been killed in an accident.  He was 41 when he died.  

Harriet Fletcher Sept 10 1855 to June 20 1948.  
(she lived to see the civil war, WWI and WWII).  Lived 92 years if correct.   There is more than one Harriet Fletcher.  One is the right age to be the daughter of the the other however, I do not know if they are mother and daughter.  Harriet Fletcher of Fauquier VA (where our line originated) was 18 years old in the 1850 census and her race is listed at “I” Indian, unmarried.  If they are mother and daughter, they should have different last names unless the daughter was born out of wedlock.  Some of the Fauquier County VA Fletchers relocated to the Kyles Ford TN area.

Most headstones in the Kyles Ford graveyard look like this one.  No name.  Thomas A. Fletcher MAY be buried in one of these graves.  He is almost certainly buried somewhere near by, on the farm of his son-in-law Anthony Smith as it mentions in Thomas A.’s will.    

Dayton Moles lives near the graveyard on Fox Branch road.  He told me that someone descended from the Fletchers used to go up to the graveyard and clean it up once per year.  He said that man stopped showing up to clean the graveyard about 20 years ago.  

Our linage PROBABLY goes as follows:
1 Unknown Fletcher, probably from Fauquier co. VA about 1700.  Genetically connected to Moses Fletcher of Fauquier co. VA. 
2 Thomas A. Fletcher, from Fauquier or Pittsylvania co. VA to the Scott/Lee co. VA & Hancock/Hawkins co. TN
3 John P. Fletcher and Catherine Curry, little info on John but I assume he was with Thomas A. as a child. 
4 Henry Fletcher and Celia Bunch, Hancock Co. TN and VA. Kyles Ford TN area  Lived right on the boarder.
5 Wilson Fletcher, and Polly Unknown  Hancock Co. TN then Clay Co. KY
6 WM (William) Fletcher and Myrtle White, Clay Co. KY
7 Matt Fletcher, and Wilma Sanders Clay Co KY then Detroit MI
8 Mathew Fletcher, Detroit MI    

Our linage PROBABLY goes as follows:
1 Unknown Fletcher, probably from Fauquier co. VA about 1700.  Genetically connected to Moses Fletcher of Fauquier co. VA. 
2 Thomas A. Fletcher, from Fauquier or Pittsylvania co. VA to the Scott/Lee co. VA & Hancock/Hawkins co. TN
3 John P. Fletcher and Catherine Curry, little info on John but I assume he was with Thomas A. as a child. 
4 Henry Fletcher and Celia Bunch, Hancock Co. TN and VA. Kyles Ford TN area  Lived right on the boarder.
5 Wilson Fletcher, and Polly Unknown  Hancock Co. TN then Clay Co. KY
6 WM (William) Fletcher and Myrtle White, Clay Co. KY
7 Matt Fletcher, and Wilma Sanders Clay Co KY then Detroit MI
8 Mathew Fletcher, Detroit MI    

I think Thomas A., John P., and Henry Fletcher are probably burred in the Kyles Ford TN area.  They MAY be buried in the graveyard I found on 
Fox branch road behind the home of Dayton Moles.